


No Matter What

by imnewintown



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Gaang (Avatar) as Family, Kataang Week, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:01:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27865038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imnewintown/pseuds/imnewintown
Summary: Katara is nervous about telling Aang that she thinks their baby might not be bender and tenderness ensues
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Bumi II & Katara
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	No Matter What

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time writing a fic so I hope you like it! I was so enraged at the idea that Aang might be a bad father that I decided to dabble

She would have to tell him soon. It was better to get it out of the way, so he didn’t continue to build up false hope. He hadn’t said anything about it out loud, but she knew how he felt. It was only natural. Aang was the last of his people, of course he would want someone to pass on their abilities and history to. Katara wasn’t sure how he would feel about the baby if he knew it wasn’t a bender. Her hands clutched protectively around her stomach. For Katara, the baby was already alive and real, she could feel his (or her, she thought reflexively) feet kicking her daily. But for Aang, she felt the baby was still something out of his reach, and he might be less excited once he knew… 

“This is ridiculous,” she thought, “Aang is one of the most loving and accepting people I know!”

Still, when she saw his glider approaching their home, her stomach dropped a little. They ate dinner like everything was normal, but Katara’s heart rate started to pick back up again once they finished. It had to be tonight, no more putting it off. She was silent as they cleaned the dishes. Aang looked at her worriedly. “Is everything alright, sweetie?” he asked, “You’re not feeling sick again are you?” 

She attempted a smile to reassure him, “No, luckily that part of the pregnancy has passed. It’s a beautiful night. Do you wanna go for a walk.” 

Aang grinned, “Sure, but don’t expect me to slow down for you just because you’re pregnant.” 

Katara knew this was his attempt at making her feel better, so she grinned back. “Oh please,” she challenged, “you think you’re all that, but if we had a race in water, I could beat you pregnant and blindfolded.” 

Aang took her hand, “Well right now I’ll settle for a nice leisurely stroll.” 

The stars were out, and the moon was only a sliver, so she didn’t dominate them with her light. The wind gently brushed against Katara’s hair. At first, she was content just to just enjoy this night with her husband. She didn’t want to ruin the peace. They didn’t really say much, but silence had always felt natural between them. As they were nearing the house again, Katara sighed. 

Aang stopped and took both her hands in his. “Katara what is it? You can tell me anything, you know that.” 

Katara bit her lip. “Let’s just sit down right here for a little bit. It’s too beautiful to be inside right now.” Katara fiddled nervously with her necklace. 

Aang looked worried. “Ok you’re really starting to scare me now. Is there something wrong with the baby?” 

Of course he guessed. Aang knew her too well for Katara to keep anything from him. Katara took a deep breath. Now was her moment. “Well there’s nothing wrong with the baby, it’s just…” she hesitated. “It’s just not going to be a bender. Of any kind actually.” Katara risked a glance at her husband. 

Aang was thinking. At first he looked surprised, then curious, then something she couldn’t quite read. He opened his mouth, then paused and took her hand. “How do you know?” 

Katara struggled, “Well it’s a little difficult to explain, but I’m sure the baby is no bender.” She remembered a story her Gran Gran used to love telling her. “When my mother was pregnant with me, they knew I would be a bender because of the way I moved. I was more active then Sokka and my mother used to say she could feel me move the water inside her womb.”

She took another breath and looked Aang in the eyes. She still couldn’t tell if he was upset. Maybe he wasn’t sure either. She felt the need to explain further. “I mean, I’ve obviously never been pregnant before, so I could be wrong, and I don’t know what it would be like for someone to be pregnant with an airbender but I think it would feel different, and I’m really sorry. I-” 

Aang stopped her worried ramblings by gently putting his hand on her swollen stomach and his mouth on top of hers. 

“Katara, it’s ok. I already knew.” 

Katara was shocked. “But you looked so surprised when I told you!” 

Aang chuckled softly. “That’s because I didn’t know that you knew. I had been wondering when and how to tell you that you weren’t having a water bending baby.” 

Katara felt mildly offended that Aang thought she wouldn’t know. “Well the baby is inside of me, of course I know. How do you know?” 

Aang grinned, “Hey I may be new to being a father, but I’ve got some experience being the Avatar. I’m good at reading people’s energies. How many times have I put my hands here, huh?” As he said this, the arrow on his hand flashed quickly and he smiled quietly, as if the child had told him a secret. “That baby is going to be fierce and strong. Like his mother.” 

Katara smiled at her husband, any worry she had long gone. “Why do you say his? It could very easily be a girl. Unless you know that too and are keeping it a secret.” 

Aang answered her smiling challenge, “Hey energy has no gender, I was just guessing. But what about you?” 

“Me!” Katara exclaimed. 

“Well the baby is inside of you, shouldn’t you be able to tell if it’s a boy or a girl?” 

Katara laughed. “Ok but really, you’re not upset? I would understand if you were.” 

Aang placed one hand back on her belly and reached the other up to cup her cheek. “Katara I will love our child no matter what. Boy or girl, bender or nonbender. You have made me happier than I ever thought possible, and I know this child can only add to our happiness.”

Katara placed her hand on top of her husband’s and squeezed it gently. She still felt somewhat guilty and couldn’t help but say, “You know the odds of having an airbending child might be better with a nonbending partner.” 

Aang’s mouth fell open in shock. “What are you talking about? You expect me to just breed with anybody so I can teach someone airbending!” 

Katara tried to soothe him, “No no, that's not what I meant at all! I didn’t mean to offend you. I shouldn’t have said that. I just meant that I was lucky you married me, even though you knew that.” 

Aang shook his head in disbelief, but he wasn’t upset any longer. He looked deep in her eyes and for once Katara could believe he was 124 years old. He paused, trying to find the right words. “Katara I don’t want to have a child just for the sake of an heir. I want to raise a child, this child, with you because I love you. I will love this baby and any future children we have because they are a part of OUR family, not because they have air nomad blood.”

Katara felt tears prick her eyes. “I really do love you, Aang.”

He pulled her into a kiss, then held her close against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat, which was strangely comforting. She wanted to stay there with him forever, just holding each other, but it was really getting late. She shifted her weight, ready to stand up, when Aang reached under her legs, picking her up and effortlessly airbending himself up at the same time.

Katara laughed, “What are you doing? I must weigh as much as Appa.”

“It’s late, you’ve been on your feet all day, let me take care of you, for once.”

They were up in their bedroom in no time. Aang helped her out of her clothes and turned down the covers of the bed for her. Katara felt like everything she did was 10x slower than usual, so it was nice to let Aang do all the work. She laid on her side and tried her best to get comfortable. She felt Aang mold himself to her and cradle her spoon-fashion. One arm came protectively over her stomach, in the same way she so often did throughout the day. His other hand came up and brushed the hair off her shoulder. He planted a gentle kiss there, then worked his way up her neck to her jawline. Katara gave a small sigh of pleasure. 

It was at that moment they baby felt the need to remind them of his presence with a sturdy kick. Katara groaned and Aang chuckled, “Even I felt that one.” 

She could feel his smile as he buried his face in her hair. “I don’t know you sleep with him nagging you all night,” he said, laughing again. 

Katara kicked his shin, “Well soon he or she will be nagging you just as much, and trust me, babies are a lot harder to ignore when they can cry.” 

Aang made hmph noise in the back of his throat. This time it was Katara’s turn to laugh. “It’s only fair really. You got to enjoy the fun part with me, so you get to suffer too.” 

Aang only hugged her tighter. He grew serious suddenly. “Did I ever thank you?” he asked. 

Katara rolled over so she could look at him and took his hand. “Thank me for what?” She asked with a smile. 

“For carrying our child,” he said earnestly. 

Katara only laughed, but she was touched by the look in his eyes. 

“I mean it,” Aang persisted. “I know it’s not easy and the birth… will be painful and dangerous.” 

She reached up and stroked his face. “I’m a healer Aang, there’s no need to worry. As for the carrying your child part, it was my pleasure,” she said stroking her now silent womb. 

Katara could see Aang form a small, crooked smile. “I’m glad to hear it, because I wasn’t planning on only having one kid.” 

“And here I thought you didn’t mind having a nonbending child.” 

Aang’s smile grew wider and even more crooked. “I do have a duty to try and repopulate the air nomads, and the more kids we have, the more grandkids. It’s simple math Katara.” 

Katara matched his mischievous grin, “I didn’t realize what an important duty you had. I hope you're including me in your mission.” 

“I wouldn’t want it to be with anybody else,” he whispered, tender once more. 

Aang took her hand and scooted closer, so their faces were only a few inches apart and her large stomach touched his slim form. When they were this close, it was like they were sharing the child, carrying it together. They lay peacefully together, a little family of three sleeping as one. Katara was on the edge of sleep when she heard Aang whisper her name. 

“Wha-- What did you say?” she mumbled, trying to understand through the haze of her dreams. 

“Earlier, when you said soon the baby would be here, how soon did you mean?” 

Katara managed to make sense of the question. “Oh Aang, you still have weeks, there’s no need to worry. Now let’s try to sleep while we can still enjoy a quiet night.” 

She should have known not to say such a thing. The universe had always loved to laugh at their family.


End file.
